Dr Nicola Blackie

Nicola is a lecturer in Production Animal Science. She is particularly interested in the husbandry of farm animals and how this can impact on their health and welfare. Her research is based around the use of novel technology to improve welfare and production of farm animals. Further research interest include the nutrition of the young animal - particularly weaning strategies for dairy calves and pigs.

Nicola has worked on a number of livestock units prior to graduating from Harper Adams University in 2003 with a BSc in Agriculture with Animal Science. She then had position as a research technician in the at CEDAR (University of Reading), during this time she worked predominantly with dairy cattle and calves.

Nicola's PhD (Writtle University College/ University of Essex, 2009) was supervised by Dr Jes Scaife, Dr Emma Bleach (Harper Adams University) and Dr Jonathan Amory (Writtle University College). Nicola's PhD entitled "Assessing the impact of lameness on gait and behaviour of dairy cattle: Development of an automated lameness detection system" started her interest in technology and its uses to improve animal behaviour monitoring, this was undertaken in conjunction with IceRobotics. Nicola then took up a position as a Research Assistant then Lecturer at Writtle University College where she taught livestock production and welfare. Nicola was also course manager for Undergraduate Agriculture at Writtle University College.

Nicola joined the RVC in December 2017.

Nicola's research is focused on ways to improve welfare on commercial farms. She has studied nutritional and enrichment strategies to improve production and welfare of young pigs and calves. Nicola has supervised a PhD project on the effects of lameness on oestrus detection in dairy cattle (Amanda Ward).

Journal Papers:

Blackie, N., de Sousa, M. (2019) The Use of Garlic Oil for Olfactory Enrichment Increases the Use of Ropes in Weaned Pigs. Animals.9, 148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani9040148

Glover, J., Amory, J.R., Lumbis, K and Blackie, N. (2016) Effects of single and double feeder space on the feed intake and growth performance of pigs post-weaning from four to eight weeks of age. Proceedings of British Society of Animal Science. 106.

Ward A.C, Scaife, J. R, De Luna C. and Blackie N. (2014) Evaluating the interval from calving to first service, and calving to conception in high yielding lame and non-lame Holstein Friesian dairy cattle. Proceedings of British Society of Animal Science. 206.

I have been involoved in a number of outreach activities such as open day farm tours, dairy day, visit from University of Minnesota as well as summer school activities, pre-vet summer school and Year 11 summer school